ST. LOUIS, MO – Construction is complete on a series of projects in the Normandy Schools Collaborative in St. Louis, with Kwame Building Group (KWAME) serving as the construction manager and owner’s representative. The projects, which were funded by Proposition N, a $23 million no-tax- rate increase bond issue, include the new $15 million Normandy Early Learning Center, new library media centers and STEAM studios at Jefferson and Washington Elementary and additions at all elementary schools to reconfigure the schools to a 1st through 8th-grade model.
The new Normandy Early Learning Center on Natural Bridge Road was constructed to improve the long-term educational outcomes of the district’s students by combining pre-school, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten on one campus. Construction of the 68,000-square-foot, two-story building included demolition of the existing 120,000-square-foot middle school, site development and parking lot improvements. The new state-of-the-art facility features a whimsical, tree-house themed library; outdoor playground; gymnasium and 35 classrooms. The architect was TRi Architects.
“By making the investment in our youngest learners, we have the opportunity to set a new standard within the district and the metropolitan area,” according to the Normandy Schools Collaborative website. “Very few public school districts offer free early childhood (ECC) programs to their residents. In the state of Missouri, only three percent of children have access to public ECC programs.”
Previously, KWAME served as the program construction manager for the Normandy Schools Collaborative $16 million bond program. The program, which spanned 2004 through 2008, included renovations and expansions on Normandy Senior High School and other district facilities. In 2011, KWAME was the construction manager and owner’s representative for the district’s 65,000-square-foot Barack Obama Elementary School.
ABOUT KWAME BUILDING GROUP, INC.
Kwame Building Group, Inc. (KWAME) is one of the nation’s top pure construction management firms, dedicating 100 percent of its resources to project management services. An employee-owned company, KWAME provides estimating, scheduling, project planning, value engineering and other project management services as an independent advocate for owners and developers. KWAME’s public and private sector projects include educational facilities, major airports nationwide, light-rail systems, hospitals, wastewater treatment facilities and government facilities. KWAME is headquartered in St. Louis with division offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Seattle. For more information, visit www.kwamebuildinggroup.com or call (314) 862-5344.
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